ABSTRACT
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as an idiopathic inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract, consisting mainly of Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, which can involve the rectum, colon and ileum, and whose pathogenesis is still not fully understood. The initiation of intestinal inflammation associated with IBD and its chronieity begins with increased intestinal permeability caused by intestinal epithelial barrier disruption. The anti-permeability of the intestinal epithelial barrier is maintained by tight junction in the apical region of the intestinal epithelial cells, and disruption of the tight junction structure is closely associated with intestinal epithelial barrier damage and the development of IBD. Therefore, it is significant to find drugs for the prevention and treatment of IBD using tight junctions as regulatory targets. In recent years, many small molecules of natural product origin have been reported to improve the effects of IBD. In particular, we review the compounds that have the function of repairing intestinal epithelial barrier and protecting tight junction structure, in order to provide research ideas for the design and development of new drugs for the prevention and treatment of IBD.